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Nobility in the Dominion
Talk page Since wikia apparently sucks at making talk pages properly. Nobility in the Dominion The Nobility are the Ruling Elite of the Dominion, responsible for the Military, political and economic functioning of it's various Houses. To be properly considered to be a member of the nobility it is necessary to own property, usually in the form of land on habitable worlds. While titles are not strictly hereditary longer lasting noble families generally have enough money and influence to secure above average schooling for their children, greatly improving their chances of inheriting positions of power. Most Dro'all nobles are descended from a longer lived race of their species, giving them more time to learn, acquire power and rule over their holdings. Reformation / First Reformation See also: Nobility in the Dominion: Second Reformation Over the course of the early border wars with the Terrans, the leaders of what would become the powerful 10th Dynasty took an interest in ancient Human cultures. After their rise to power the new Ruling House opened their borders to Human immigrants and began a reformation of Dro'all society. The existing system of Houses lead by families with noble bloodlines already existed but lacked a clearly defined system of hierarchy. With so many Houses then spread across space it would be difficult to for the leader of a Minor House to know if they'd insulted a peer or the leader of a much more power full Mid sized House. The tendency for one-upmanship between Nobles when it came to dress and decoration did not help matters. There was also little to indicate which nobles were of worth when it came to leading or commanding military forces. With plans to invade Kavarian space within a generation the new Emperor wanted skilled adminitrators out of harms way with true warriors and military leaders where they could do the most good. The concept of Knights, Lords and other titles the Terrans no longer used to establish rank was immediately an appealing one, though there were changes made to reduce the likelyhood of the inept being given power. While these sweeping changes were unpopular to many, many more were willing to follow this new direction after centuries of being ruled by an immortal clone. Almost any change proposed in the early day of the 10th Dynasty was considered a good one. Any naysays were shouted down as being supporters of the old regime, for in most cases they were. Lords Some of the most common nobles are Lords, those who own land which has been handed down from an ancestor. Lords tend to control most of the land on habitable worlds that have been held for more than a generation. As such they are responsible for the industrial, and agricultural output of planets in addition to providing housing for the masses. (Urban planning is done with an eye towards sustainability with the resilience to survive short bursts of accelerated population growth.) Because of their land holdings Lords have access to huge sums of money to advance their own causes but are limited in how they can go about this. What Lords lack are direct power over the House military. It is common for Lords to frequent the court of the House Leadership or to assist other Nobles in the realm of politics in some form or another, attending to matters only a Noble could. A Baron, Planetary Governor, or even some Knights may hire on skilled Lords to assist in the day to day running of their office or even their landholdings. Lordlings The children of nobles, lordlings will often compete with their siblings to prove they are worthy of inheriting the estate of their parents. As they are not technically nobles themselves yet, once they have come of age they are eligible to be drafted into the military. The children of a Knight or other noble who served in the military can apply for exemption from the draft. This is normally only used if they're the sole remaining heir to their family fortune. As a result their own children will not be able to apply for this exemption. A Note on the Middle Class: Similar to inheritance systems regarding nobles, many in the middle class are people who retired from the military and were able to get preferential treatment in terms of job availability or small business loans. Planetary Governor Ruler of an entire world the position of planetary governor is an important and much sought after one. The Governor mostly sees to the overall economy of the planet and can act as a check to maintain control local Lords. They are also responsible for the defenses of the planet be it maintain the PDF garrison or using taxes to establish orbital defenses. Their control of the planet's orbital space can also be a means to increase the world's income by establishing more stations. A Governor who controlls vital orbital industry such as shipyards can soon find themselves as one of the more powerful individuals in their House. Given the importance of this position only the head of the House is permitted to grant this title. This may be the result of an individual proving their administravive skill or through the use of bribes and intrigue by one or more nobles. Lords are most commonly elevated to Governor with it being rare to select Nobles of military rank such as Knights. Knights The Warrior Nobility, Knights are some of the most common and lowest ranked Nobles. They are expected to lead and inspire their troops, often to greater acts of heroism. Commoners who distinguish themselves in battle or that show many looked for qualities may be Knighted and granted land. This influx of new Nobles balances out the losses of those killed via intrigue and assasination. Descendants of Nobles and middle class are more easily Knighted than those of the lower classes, who must prove beyond any doubt what they are capable of before even being considered. Traditionally a Knight would be given command a Light Cruiser or starship of similar value or tonnage. Alternatively someone Knighted from the ground forces might be offered power armor or given the opportunity to transfer to space. Given the difficulties in constructing micro fusion reactors and armor materials needed for most power armor, their value has often been set at an equivilant to a starship. Knight -Commands a Cruiser / 1 corvette squadron / Battalion or more of infantry Knight Lieutenant -up to a dozen other Knights Knight Captain -several Knight LT's and their Knights Knight Commander One step below a Baron, this rank is usually reserved for those who have yet to prove themselves capable of such a position. These individuals are usually placed in command of smaller Expeditionary Forces, Sector Fleets, or sections of much larger battle fleets a Baron or higher ranking Noble might command. Barons A Baron is both a military and political title, being the lowest rank of the nobility allowed to rule over an entire House. In most cases a Baron is responsible for the military forces of an important world, system or surrounding sector. While they can assume command of a world's Planetary Defense Forces the ships and troops they usually command are comprised of the mobile forces which can be used to invade or defend worlds beyond their own. Barons are sometimes used to reign in powerful Planetary Governors since the two positions tend to be mutually exclusive. Viscount (Less than a county? Sector?) A less common title, a Viscount is generally the military and political administrator of an important sector of space, often a trade lane. Like a Baron they are allowed to rule over an entire House, but more often serve as less powerful nobles in larger Houses. Earl Within the organisation of the Dominion noble ranks an Earl is considered to be ranked below a Count as it was determined that the title seemed less grand. Count / of the emperor / Usually a mid level House Marquess (defense of one of the border provinces) Margrave (Under protection after holding/being decimated while on boarder provinces) Duke -usually the head of a Major House or an heir Archduke -Rarely used (Sibling/Alternate heir of the Emperor?/Rival House) Emperor Knights Errant See main article: Knights Errant Wandering or roving Knights are not excessively common but with so many Houses in the Dominion there are bound to be some who have lost their Houses or been exiled from them. Most of these are referred to collectively as Knights Errant. While some may operate on their own as mercenaries others have been known to form groups of similarly dispossessed Knights. Orders of such Knights may attempt to recruit prospective officers from the nobility of Houses they are on good terms with. This could be granted in return for their assistance in recent battles or other protection. Category:Royalty and nobility templates Category:Dominion of Royal Houses